Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our crowdfunding campaign has ended but you can still support UAS at UCLA by clicking here.
We are Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS@UCLA), and drones are what we do. This summer, we will be competing in the world's largest autonomous drone competition in Washington D.C.- AUVSI SUAS. This means that we will be going up against the best student drone teams from around the globe. This will be our fourth year competing, and this time, we are hoping to clinch the first place trophy.
Why is this competition so special? Our mission is to emulate a search-and-rescue operation in a scenario where human help would be out of reach. This is a critical line of research for society because every day new tragedies strike - as far away as the fires in Australia and as close as mudslides near Westwood - leaving human beings stranded without basic necessities. With autonomous drones, we can propel the future of rescue technology and potentially save lives.
Our specialized drone will follow ground waypoints with its AI-enhanced vision recognition system, deploy a ground vehicle to a precise location, which in turn will travel through a given terrain, carrying a life-saving payload (a water bottle) to the final target. Outside of the competition, this operation would be critical in aiding disaster relief efforts. Given this importance, a win for our team would truly be a win for all!
However, as exciting and as important as this mission sounds, we can't do it alone. This is why we are recruiting you to join us in our endeavor... and we have something very exciting for you in store!
The legacy of Spinny, last year's quadcopter, will live on forever, but it is time to expand our horizons... and our range. This year, we are proud to announce we will be creating a fixed-wing drone, our most efficient drone yet. In fact, this drone will be able to fly five times further than last year's already efficient quadcopter.
We love this idea and are itching to start building... but building this ultra-modern drone from scratch will only be possible with your help. During this campaign we are hoping to raise $10,000 to build our most advanced drone ever and take home the trophy! See exactly where your contribution would go below.
The drone is expensive, but no contribution is too small! Not only does every dollar move us closer to the runway, it could also move you forward. We listed a handful of reasons why your contribution would not only be of value to us, but be mutually beneficial.
We may be a young organization, but we are growing rapidly. Our diverse team consists of students from all over the world, from engineers to social science majors, united under the common goal of not just watching, but making things fly.
We want to get the UCLA community excited and educated about drones and the plethora of applications associated with autonomous technology. We are always seeking new challenges and striving to share what we love doing to those around us through outreach events. It is thus imperative that we raise awareness about artificial intelligence and elevate their understanding of the important work our technology can achieve.
Your donation means a lot! As a way to say thank you, we will place your name on our website. Your gift is fully tax deductible.
Thank you very much! We will give you a customized shout out on our UAS Instagram story in addition to having your name on our website. Your donation is fully tax deductible.
You rock! We'll send you an personalized video shout-out from one of our meetings to show how important your contribution is, in addition to the previous perks. (Fully tax deductible).
Your donation is so special to us that we will give you our very own lab manufactured, 3D printed puzzle cube designed by our very own engineers. This cool little gadget will surely keep you entertained for hours, as will the previous gifts you will also receive. (Tax deductible donation of $495)
For $1,000, you sponsor the creation of the entire Unmanned Ground Vehicle! In exchange for your gift, we will put your name or company logo on the UGV for all to see in the final stretch of our mission. Thank you! (Fully tax deductible)
Your donation of $2000 or more is so valuable to us, we want to meet you in person! Come to our lab, see where all the magic happens, and meet our members. Your name or company logo will also be displayed on our base station at the AUVSI Competition for all to see. (Tax deductible gift of $1,999.50)
With an incredible donation of $10,000, we will proudly display your name or company logo on a 4'-long wing of our drone at the AUVSI Competition for all to see, along with all previous benefits. Thank you for making a profound impact in the UCLA community, and helping us ensure a safer future for all! (Tax deductible donation of $9,996.50)